Mobile Phones and Health: Separating Fact from Fiction

Are Mobile Phones Dangerous?

Questions and Answers on Mobile Phone Safety

1. According to the article, do mobile phones lead to brain tumors? Explain.

It isn’t really known if mobile phones lead to brain tumors. Some scientists think they do, but others find no evidence.

2. Are mobile phones the only devices that can damage our health? Explain.

It is believed other electronic appliances besides mobile phones may pose a health risk.

3. Why do some experts think that mobile phones can be harmful to the development of children’s brains?

The text suggests mobile phones might harm children’s brains because they are not fully developed yet, but it doesn’t actually state or suggest why they believe this.

4. Microwave ovens and mobile phones emit similar levels of RF.

FALSE: Mobile phone antennas are similar to microwave ovens. While both rely on electromagnetic radiation, the radio waves in mobile phones are lower in radio frequency (RF). (LINES 4-5)

5. In the past, the negative effects of tobacco were unknown.

TRUE: Many years ago, people smoked freely and were not aware of the effects of cigarettes on their health. (LINES 13-14)

6. Find in the text a synonym for “worry” (noun).

Concern (LINE 6)

7. Give an adjective with the same root as “health” (noun).

Healthy, unhealthy

8. Which word is not an adjective?

Dangerous / risky / scare / unsafe

9. Find in the text one word which has the following definition: “A machine or piece of equipment which has been invented for a particular purpose.”

Device (LINES 9 & 16)

10. Give a question for the underlined words:

“Some health professionals point out that many cancers take at least ten years to develop.”

What do some health professionals point out?

11. Rewrite the sentence without changing its meaning. Begin as indicated:

“Even though the car was very expensive, she bought it.”

In spite of the car being very expensive, she bought it.

12. Fill in the gap with the correct form of the verb in brackets:

“George stopped _______ (smoke) two years ago.”

George stopped smoking two years ago.

13. Turn the following sentence into the passive voice:

Scientists believe that mobile phones are dangerous to our health.

Mobile phones are believed by scientists to be dangerous to our health.
It is believed by scientists that mobile phones are dangerous to our health.

The Day We Met

Questions and Answers on a Memorable Encounter

1. How did the narrator manage to get a visa to work in England?

He managed to get a visa by volunteering to work on farms.

2. What was the narrator attracted to when he met Alice?

He was attracted by her shyness and bewitching appearance.

3. How did they get in touch again?

She wrote to him when her engagement was called off.

4. The narrator says that the summer of 1950 was splendid and rather dry.

TRUE: … that summer was beautiful and the rain hardly appeared. (LINE 4)

5. The narrator’s marriage has been full of happiness.

TRUE: When Alice and I look back, we think that we have been very fortunate. Alice is now seventy-eight and I am eighty-three, and I must say that I have loved her ever since the day we met in that field. (LINES 14-15)

6. Find in the text one synonym for “timid” (adjective).

Shy (LINE 8)

7. Fill in the gap with the correct option:

She complained about her trip to Canada.
to / about / for / at

8. Which word does not have the same meaning?

Depart / set off / set up / leave

9. Give a noun with the same root as “propose” (verb).

Proposal

10. Rewrite the sentence without changing its meaning. Begin as indicated:

“I’ve been playing chess for thirty years.”

I started playing chess thirty years ago.

11. Turn the following sentence into the active voice:

The agricultural camps were excellently organized by the Ministry of Farming.

The Ministry of Farming organized the agricultural camps excellently.

12. Use the words in the boxes to make a meaningful sentence. Use all and only the words in the boxes without changing their form.

• seeing
• I
• looking
• to
• am
• forward
• you

I am looking forward to seeing you.

13. Complete the following (conditional) sentence:

If she hadn’t written to me, I would never have seen her again.

Hearing Dogs

Questions and Answers on the Benefits of Hearing Dogs

1. Do hearing dogs help improve children’s speaking skills? Explain.

Speech can be improved through the use of hearing aids, which are more likely to be used by children with hearing dogs.

2. Why is James sleeping better since he has Kurt?

Kurt helps James sleep better because he stays in the boy’s bedroom at night and keeps him company.

3. Why did James find it difficult to communicate with people?

James found it hard to communicate with people because he couldn’t speak well.

4. Hearing dogs can help deaf children improve their results at school.

TRUE: … these specially trained dogs could improve children’s behavior and lead to better academic performance… (LINES 3-4)

5. Families usually keep the dogs after retirement age.

TRUE: All hearing dogs are retired at 11 years of age but families usually keep them. (LINE 14)

6. Give a noun with the same root as “strong” (adjective).

Strength

7. Find in the text one opposite for “deaf” (adjective).

Hearing (LINES 2, 12, 14 & 15)

8. Find in the text one synonym for “link” (noun).

Connection (LINE 14)

9. Complete the series with another word from the same semantic group:

Respond / reply / retort … answer

10. Join the following sentences using a relative. Make changes if necessary:

Hearing dogs are trained to alert children. They also help them to improve behavior.

Hearing dogs are trained to alert children, who they also help to improve behavior.
Hearing dogs are trained to alert children, whom they also help to improve behavior.
Hearing dogs, which are trained to alert children, also help them to improve behavior.

11. Turn the following sentence into the active voice:

The plumber wasn’t paid when he finished.

They didn’t pay the plumber when he finished.

12. Fill in the gap with a correct form of the verb in brackets:

“Speech therapies _______ (improve) considerably since they were originally developed.”

Speech therapies have improved considerably since they were originally developed.
Speech therapies have been improved considerably since they were originally developed.
Speech therapies have been improving considerably since they were originally developed.

13. Complete the following (conditional) sentence:

If all deaf children had trained dogs, they would become more integrated at school and in society.